Learning all I can about call ducks !

[shawluvsbirds]

Sorry... let me grab one of her pics and I'll show you what I'm talking about...

Okey dokie

 

[Ravynscroft]

I mean I know what speculum is but what makes it diluted?

Ok, see the part of her speculum I circled? And see how it is *almost* the same color as his speculum I circled? That is diluted...

 

[shawluvsbirds]

While I have you here. . I'm still a little worried about Lexi and the wing picking thing. I have yet to see her get in the water and she still shakes her wings pretty constantly. I figured her feathers were just rough from the drake s running her around as the lady had them thought they were all hens didn't know what she had and about half or more were drake. But not bathing worries me. How do you check for feather mites?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

View attachment 1074441

Ok, see the part of her speculum I circled? And see how it is *almost* the same color as his speculum I circled? That is diluted...

Hum. . I wonder if that's just the camera angle making it look like that. I'm outside with them I'll go look now.

 

[Ravynscroft]

While I have you here. . I'm still a little worried about Lexi and the wing picking thing. I have yet to see her get in the water and she still shakes her wings pretty constantly. I figured her feathers were just rough from the drake s running her around as the lady had them thought they were all hens didn't know what she had and about half or more were drake. But not bathing worries me. How do you check for feather mites?

If she won't bathe, put her in water yourself... or spray her with the shower setting on the hose... make her preen, that is essential... I have a couple that originally came from a breeder who did not keep the birds in the best of housing and they won't get in the pools on their own a lot... I just give them a spray down, or give them a cold bath and they clean up good then...

Check for feather lice by running your hand the opposite direction of their body feathers, all over, head, neck underbelly, under wings... you should see them moving around... and check for nit(egg) clusters at the base of their feathers...

 

[shawluvsbirds]

yes this is how it's always looked since I got them back in October. She hasn't molted but duck has. I see he is getting new wing feathers in today. I would have thought this color would be in the winter not summer. Does he have his seasons mixed up ? Lol

 

[Ravynscroft]

View attachment 1074446 View attachment 1074448 yes this is how it's always looked since I got them back in October. She hasn't molted but duck has. I see he is getting new wing feathers in today. I would have thought this color would be in the winter not summer. Does he have his seasons mixed up ? Lol

No, they eclipse during summer, full nuptial plumage all winter and spring... but her wing bar should be fully blue, not half... that's what I saw in her before... blue is a dilute gene... that little spot is what a full speculum looks pretty much like on a blue fawn... so she IS carrying an epistatic blue gene...

 

[shawluvsbirds]

If she won't bathe, put her in water yourself... or spray her with the shower setting on the hose... make her preen, that is essential... I have a couple that originally came from a breeder who did not keep the birds in the best of housing and they won't get in the pools on their own a lot... I just give them a spray down, or give them a cold bath and they clean up good then...

Check for feather lice by running your hand the opposite direction of their body feathers, all over, head, neck underbelly, under wings... you should see them moving around... and check for nit(egg) clusters at the base of their feathers...

I've showered her a few times cause I feel like they are hot and because they were so so dirty I don't think they had a good water source where they were. None of them are real interested in bathing like mine are but Maggie and Sophie will at least get in a couple times a day. I hope it's not mites. I still haven't found wormer either. I better treat them all to be safe.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

No, they eclipse during summer, full nuptial plumage all winter and spring... but her wing bar should be fully blue, not half... that's what I saw in her before... blue is a dilute gene... that little spot is what a full speculum looks pretty much like on a blue fawn... so she IS carrying an epistatic blue gene...

So that means one of her parents was likely a blue of some kind and one a grey you think?

 

[Ravynscroft]

This is a juvenile grey drake, but see how his wing bar is completely blue all the way across? That's how hers *should* look, but instead she is partially hiding a blue gene... thus your pastel duckling...